Axelrod wagers to shave mustache

David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, said Wednesday he will shave off his mustache “of 40 years” on national television if Obama loses Minnesota, Michigan or Pennsylvania on Election Day.

Axelrod bet Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” that Obama would win all three states, which have trended Democratic in recent contests. Mitt Romney’s campaign insists all three are now in play.

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“I will come on ‘Morning Joe’ and I will shave off my mustache of 40 years if we lose any of those three states,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod then challenged Scarborough to grow mustache if Obama won any of those states, a wager the former GOP congressman rejected. Scarborough counter-offered, saying he would grow a mustache - for the first time - if Obama wins either North Carolina or Florida. Axelrod agreed to her terms.

While North Carolina appears safer for Romney — the former Massachusetts governor led 50 percent to 45 percent in a SurveyUSA poll on Tuesday — Scarborough’s home state of Florida is a toss-up. A New York Times/CBS poll released Wednesday has Obama clinging to a 1-point lead, 50 percent to 49 percent.

Other Democrats joined Axelrod in wagering.

“I will dye my hair black and wear a fake mustache if they win Pennsylvania, Michigan or New Mexico,” Obama campaign press secretary Jen Psaki, a redhead, said on MSNBC.

And Democratic consultant Joe Trippi made an audacious bet: “I’ll shave my head on FOX,” wrote Trippi, a Fox News contributor. He deleted the message soon after.

Reporters also chimed in on Twitter. ABC News’ Jake Tapper suggested Axelrod shave “just the left half o’ the stache.” Yahoo! News’ Chris Moody joked he “would have to be biased” now that Axelrod was offering to shave.

“He can’t shave it! It’s almost Movember!” Moody wrote, referring to a mustache-growing charity event that is held in November to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues.